Consultancy Services to develop a wildfire management plan for Glenveagh National Park, Co. Donegal

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1. At a glance

Buyer Title CPV / category Estimated value Per-year Procedure type Lots Location Contract length Submission deadline Go-live / start | :------------------------ | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------- | :-------------- | :------- | :------------- | :--- | :------------ | :-------------- | :------------------ | :-------------- | Atlantic Technological University Consultancy Services to develop a wildfire management plan for Glenveagh National Park, Co. Donegal 71311100-3 Not disclosed N/A Open 1 Co. Donegal 14 months 2026-08-27 15:00 September 2026

2. Scope of Work

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) seeks a consultant to develop a landscape-scale wildfire management plan for Glenveagh National Park, Co. Donegal. The plan will protect the park's natural heritage, built heritage, property, and people. The contract duration is approximately 14 months, with an estimated maximum spend of €100,000 excluding VAT. The project is funded by PEACEPLUS under the PEAT+ project, focusing on peatland restoration, climate action, biodiversity, and community engagement.

The consultant's responsibilities include:

• Project Management and Stakeholder Engagement:
• Close collaboration with PEAT+ Project and NPWS staff, including initial site walkovers and monthly progress updates via virtual meetings.
• Regular consultation with a core steering group (NPWS, ATU Donegal, Coillte, Ulster Wildlife, Donegal County Council Fire Service), including site visits to discuss management options. Dates for meetings, workshops, and site visits will be mutually agreed.
• Phase 1 (Completed by 31/01/2027):
• Project initiation meeting and submission of a project delivery plan for agreement with ATU Donegal, NPWS, and Ulster Wildlife.
• Information gathering: This includes fire history, habitats and species condition reports/maps, climatological data, terrain shape, stakeholder consultation, initial site visits, and a desktop literature review. A site visit is mandatory for this phase.
• The PEAT+ Project will provide available datasets, but the contractor is responsible for retrieving all required information and bearing associated costs.
• Initial site walkovers and ground truthing to verify information on current vegetation type and condition, areas of previous burning, vegetation fuel loading, landscape features impacting wildfire spread, and existing wildfire precautions.
• The contractor must provide ATU Donegal with a minimum of 3 weeks' notice prior to site visits to ensure land access agreements are in place.
• Report initial findings on fire risk studies to ATU Donegal and the core steering group by 31/01/2027.
• Phase 2 (Completed by 30/06/2027):
• Utilisation of modelling and simulation techniques to assess fire risk and spread dynamics. This will inform targeted management practices, considering local conditions, fuel load, and landscape characteristics.
• Production of maps in editable GIS format for ATU Donegal Wildfire Officer, illustrating fire risk areas, pathways/gateways, and potential management interventions.
• Development of management practices with clear methodologies for recommended actions, mitigation measures, and appropriate machinery/tools/equipment.
• Consultation with the core steering group on management recommendations, including site walkovers. Revision of recommendations based on this engagement.
• Delivery of draft wildfire management plan findings and consultation with the wildfire management stakeholder group by 15/06/2027.
• Delivery of a final detailed wildfire management report by 30/07/2027. This report must meet contract objectives, include fire risk areas, pathways/gateways, potential management interventions, copies of geospatial datasets, and an indicative timeline/programme of works.
• Production of a wildfire response plan in a format suitable for implementation by Donegal County Council Fire Service and the NPWS ranger team.
• Specific Deliverables:
• A landscape-scale wildfire management plan for Glenveagh National Park (approx. 16,000 ha).
• A site-specific plan recommending best practice management techniques, integrated with wider upland management prescriptions.
• A dedicated wildfire risk study of Glenveagh National Park.
• Maps in GIS format illustrating fire risk areas, pathways/gateways, and management interventions.
• Prioritised site-specific management recommendations to reduce wildfire risk and limit intensity/spread, considering SAC/SPA features and external factors.
• Advice on supporting effective wildfire response, including inter-stakeholder communication.
• Advice on improving collaborative wildfire management with stakeholders and landowners.
• Recommendations and strategies for engagement and education with local communities and interest groups.
• An accessible wildfire response plan for Donegal County Council Fire Service and NPWS.
• Estimated costs for wildfire mitigation works, presented in table format with unit and total costs.

3. Background & buyer context

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) is procuring these consultancy services as part of the PEAT+ project, funded by PEACEPLUS. PEACEPLUS is a cross-border programme supported by the EU, the UK Government, and the Irish Government, aimed at fostering peace and prosperity. The PEAT+ project specifically focuses on restoring peatlands in Northern Ireland and Ireland's border counties, integrating climate action, biodiversity enhancement, and community engagement.

Glenveagh National Park, the subject of this plan, is the second-largest national park in Ireland, covering approximately 16,000 hectares of upland habitats. It is designated as both a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Protection Area (SPA). The park experiences significant visitor numbers (approx. 200,000 annually) and is situated near a busy public road, increasing the risk of accidental ignition. Wildfires pose a threat to the park's natural and built heritage, public safety, local livelihoods, infrastructure, and forestry plantations. The EU Joint Research Centre reported 2022 as a severe wildfire season across Europe, with Natura 2000 areas particularly affected. This plan for Glenveagh National Park is intended to serve as a model for other national parks and nature conservation areas in Ireland.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for this contract. These criteria are assessed on a pass/fail basis.

• Turnover requirement:
• Average annual turnover exceeding €200,000 in each of the last three financial years, or pro-rata for more recently established firms.
• The firm must have been in existence for at least 6 months.
• Confirmation of financial standing demonstrating the capacity to pay debts as they fall due.
• Insurance:
• Employer's Liability: €13 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Professional Indemnity: €1.0 million
• Certifications:
• Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience:
• Successful delivery of two comparable projects within the previous 10 years.
• At least one project must have involved consideration of wildfire management/burning on similar peatland habitats within a designated conservation site (SAC, SPA, RAMSAR, ASSI, SSSI, or similar).
• Each project example should be no more than two A4 pages, detailing title, client, duration, completion date, contract value, a reference contact, and a link to the project document if published.
• Personnel:
• Access to a minimum of one Senior Consultant.
• Geographic / facility constraints:
• Access to GIS systems for map and imagery production.
• Not specified for this tender regarding geographic location of the bidder's primary operations.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded to the most economically advantageous compliant tender, based on the following criteria and weightings:

• Criterion A: Approach and Methodology (60%)
• Tenderers must outline their methodology for producing the wildfire management plan, demonstrating how it will achieve project objectives, deliverables, and timelines, considering local landscape characteristics.
• Response length: Maximum 3 A4 pages.
• This criterion assesses the clarity and feasibility of the proposed approach, including spatial information presentation in GIS format.
• Criterion B: Technical Skills and Expertise (20%)
• Tenderers must provide details of the proposed team, including qualifications and relevant experience.
• This information is to be completed in Section 5.1 of the tender response document.
• Criterion C: Price (5%)
• The pricing schedule will be evaluated.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit their proposals using the specified Tender Response Document (TRD). The following components are required:

• Method statement / response document:
• Completed Tender Response Document (TRD).
• For Criterion A (Approach and Methodology), the response must be no longer than 3 A4 pages.
• CVs:
• Details of the proposed team's qualifications and relevant experience are required within the TRD (Section 5.1). Specific page limits for CVs are not stated, but the information should be comprehensive.
• Pricing schedule:
• To be completed as per the format provided in the TRD.
• Case studies:
• Two comparable projects must be detailed using the template in Appendix 2 of the TRD.
• Each example should be no more than two A4 pages.
• Declarations:
• European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) or equivalent self-declaration.
• Declaration of Bona Fides (as per Art. 57 of Directive 2014/24/EU).
• Declaration regarding compliance with relevant statutory obligations.
• Confirmation of tax compliance.
• Confirmation of financial standing and turnover.
• Confirmation of insurance cover.
• Mandatory site visit:
• At least one site visit is mandatory as part of Phase 1. Dates will be agreed by mutual consent.
• Submission portal:
• Submissions must be made via the eTenders portal (www.etenders.gov.ie). Specific formatting rules for electronic submission are not detailed but adherence to the portal's requirements is expected.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term + extension: The contract is for approximately 14 months. ATU reserves the right to extend the contract by up to 6 months, subject to satisfactory performance, budget, and business needs.
• Payment terms: Not specified in detail, but invoices are deemed accepted after a 14-day period if no objection is raised.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Not explicitly detailed as SLAs/KPIs, but successful delivery of project objectives, deliverables, and timelines is paramount.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified.
• Termination clauses: The Contracting Authority can terminate at 14 days' notice. The Authority also reserves the right to award the contract to the next highest scoring tenderer if the successful tenderer cannot deliver services satisfactorily.
• IP ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting rules: Not specified, but tenderers may rely on the resources of other entities.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Indicative Value vs. Contract Length: The estimated maximum spend of €100,000 excluding VAT for a 14-month contract (potentially extending to 20 months) suggests a relatively low daily rate for the consultancy services. This could limit the pool of highly experienced consultants or necessitate a lean team structure.
• Mandatory Experience Nuance: The requirement for one project involving wildfire management on similar peatland habitats within a designated conservation site is specific. Tenderers must ensure they can clearly demonstrate this experience, as failure to do so will result in disqualification.
• Data Responsibility: While the PEAT+ Project will provide some datasets, the contractor is explicitly responsible for retrieving all other required information and bearing associated costs. This could represent a significant, unquantified cost for bidders.
• Phased Deliverables with Tight Deadlines: The project has distinct phases with firm completion dates (e.g., Phase 1 by 31/01/2027, draft plan by 15/06/2027, final report by 30/07/2027). Missing these could impact overall project success and potentially contract performance.
• Model for Other Parks: The stated intention for this plan to serve as a model for other national parks adds a layer of strategic importance beyond the immediate scope, potentially requiring a higher standard of documentation and foresight.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured to be accessible to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), particularly those with specialised expertise in environmental consultancy, wildfire management, and GIS analysis.

• Credible bidders: Viable bidders would likely be environmental consultancies with a proven track record in landscape management, ecological assessment, and risk analysis. They would need a team with senior-level expertise in wildfire dynamics, GIS modelling, and stakeholder engagement, particularly within protected natural areas. Firms with existing relationships or experience working with Irish state agencies (NPWS, Coillte) or cross-border initiatives would have an advantage.
• Consortium/sub-contracting: SMEs are encouraged to form relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises to meet capacity requirements. Consortiums are permitted, provided they appoint a single point of contact and potentially establish legal personality if successful. Sub-contracting is not explicitly forbidden but reliance on other entities for qualification is permitted.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Preparing a compliant bid would require significant effort. This includes:
• Gathering evidence for past experience (two detailed case studies).
• Developing a robust methodology (max 3 pages).
• Detailing team expertise.
• Completing all declarations and the TRD.
• Estimating costs. This could reasonably require 5-10 working days for a dedicated bid team, depending on the availability of pre-prepared case studies and templates.
• Pwin signal: The tender is open procedure, suggesting a competitive process. However, the specific experience requirement (peatland wildfire management in designated sites) narrows the field. The indicative value is moderate, suggesting a focus on specialist delivery rather than large-scale